Samuel Brittan

Sir Samuel Brittan (born 29 December 1933) is an English journalist and author. He was the first economics correspondent for the Financial Times, and has since been a long-time columnist. He is member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Global Warming Policy Foundation ("restoring balance and trust to the climate debate").

Samuel Brittan was born in London to Rebecca (Lipetz) and Joseph Brittan, a doctor. His parents were Lithuanian Jews who had migrated to Britain before World War II. He was the elder brother of Leon Brittan, who was Home Secretary under Margaret Thatcher.

Brittan was educated at Kilburn Grammar School, a former state grammar school in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent in north-west London (now a state comprehensive school known as Queens Park Community School), followed by Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was taught by Peter Bauer in his first year, Milton Friedman in his second year, and Harry Gordon Johnson in his third year. Brittan gained a First Class degree.

Brittan wrote of being supervised by Johnson:

In my third year I was supervised by Harry Johnson, who was a genuine prodigy - on the surface flashy and Americanized - and not yet the feared economic personality he later became. He was the supervisor from whom I probably derived the most benefit.

On his relationship with Friedman at Cambridge Brittan said that he "proved a charming person; but at first I did not like being tutored by a far-out Republican and missing the true Cambridge Keynsian wisdom" - recalling how the American economist dealt him 'one of best put-down remarks I have ever encountered':

[Friedman] mentioned to me a letter he had received from Arthur Burns saying that Eisenhower was turning out well as President. I expressed surprise, to which Friedman responded: 'First, Burns has much better knowledge of Eisenhower. Second, given equal knowledge I would prefer his opinion to yours.' Against The Flow (2005)

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